Armed Man Killed in Pasadena Police Shooting: Officials

Police shot and killed a man they say pulled a gun from his waistband as they chased him on foot in Pasadena on Saturday night.

Several hours later, a gathering crowd near the scene of the shooting became aggressive towards officers and the police fired Taser darts and pepper spray, authorities said.

The shooting took place shortly before 8 p.m. in the area of Raymond Avenue and Grandview Street, just north of Washington Boulevard, Pasadena police officials said.

The suspect, described as a man in his 20s, was taken to a hospital, where he was soon pronounced dead, police and city officials said. Authorities said a gun was found at the scene.

The encounter began as a traffic stop, Pasadena Police Chief John Perez said in a late-night press conference at the scene.

Officers pulled over a car which was occupied by two men for a vehicle code violation at 7:53 p.m.

According to police, during the traffic stop, the passenger suspect became uncooperative and refused to allow officers to search him.

Instead, they said, the suspect ran into the street, holding his pants waistband and while fleeing, pulled a firearm from the waistband.

One officer saw the gun and “fearing for both his and the public’s safety, the officer fired his weapon twice at the suspect, striking him at least once in the upper torso,” according to police.

Perez said it was not immediately clear whether the suspect fired his weapon.

The wounded suspect ran away but quickly collapsed, the chief said.

He has not been named by authorities.

The driver of the car was taken for questioning, officials said.

A crowd gathered at the scene of the shooting, resulting in a confrontation with police in the hours after the incident.

One man the the crowd became aggressive and threatening toward officers about 11 p.m., Pasadena police Lt. William Grisafe said. Officers used a Taser to subdue him.

The crowd became further agitated, and police ultimately deployed pepper spray, the lieutenant said. A small child was struck by some of the spray.

The child’s mother then pulled out her own pepper spray and used it on an officer, according to Grisafe.

The man initially subdued with a Taser was arrested, he said. The woman accused of pepper-spraying an officer was not.

No further details were available.

The investigation is ongoing and no further details are available at this time.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Pasadena Police at (626)-744-4241 or you may report information anonymously by calling “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website www.lacrimestoppers.org.